Spent the day trying to catch up with work stuff and just did a few very quick drive-bys after I logged off in the evening.
Despite the atrocious conditions there was something to see at each stop. A few Snipe enkeltbekkasin at Tjeldstø, a Pied Wagtail svartryggerle at Ådnevika and a Snow Bunting snøspurv at Kollsnes. I still got soaked even though I didn't even get out of the car.
Migrants that arrive early always run the risk of meeting adverse conditions. Today it was hard to watch.
On 18 March I spent almost four hours seawatching at Skogsøy under lovely calm and sunny conditions. It was another day of good passage with the first three Shelduck gravand of the year as the best birds. A couple of Red-throated Diver smålom, hunting Pergegrine vandrefalk and a decent movement of Oystercatcher tjeld were among the other sightings. Rock Pipits skjærpiplerke were singing for the first time this year too:)
Red throated Diver smålom N2
Northern Gannet havsule N 15, S 8
Great Cormorant storskarv N4, S 2
Eurasian Shag toppskarv N3, S 40
Shelduck gravand N 3
Eider ærfugl S1
Long tailed duck havelle N4, S 1
Merganser siland N1, S 3
Oystercatcher tjeld N960
Eurasian Curlew storspove N4
Common Gull fiskemåke N4
Herring Gull gråmåke N7
Great black backed Gull svartbak N13
Common Guillemot lomvi N3
Razorbill alke N43
Little Auk alkekonge N1
Auk N24, S 2
One of the many flocks of Oystercatcher tjeld heading north on 18 March
Oystercatcher tjeld
Peregrine vandrefalk and White-tailed Eagle havørn sharing the same lookout
The first Shelduck gravand of the year
Sparrowhawk spurvehauk flying over the road at Oen
White-tailed Eagle havørn from the terrace.
Although I am pretty happy with the new point and prey it is obviously not quite as good at distant birds in flight over the sea. I'll keep trying though:)
On Sunday I didn't do much in the field at all and on Monday all I managed was a very brief drive-by at Breivik / Ona on my way to a meeting in town. Here the best birds were two male Pied Wagtails svartryggerle and the first two Lapwing vipe of the year.
Winter returned big style. Strong northerly winds with frequent snow / hail showers meant that it was ever so slightly easier to spend the week glued to a computer.
I barely left the house other than for various errands and chores but despite this there was obviously stuff going on.
On 07 April a short drive by past Kollsnes gave me a Golden Plover heilo that has been seen on and off for a while and a nice male Pied Wagtail svartryggerle.
Golden Plover heilo at Kollsnes
One of a small flock of Lapwing vipe at Kollsnes
Male Pied Wagtail svartryggerle at Breivik
Two Whoopers sangsvane turned up during a snow storm at Tjeldstø the following day - no doubt driven back from wherever they had been going by the wintery conditions. The first I have seen here for a while and I had assumed that was the last I would see of them before next winter.....
Curlew storspove at Dåvøy - possibly a female judging by the length of it's bill
Some views of the sunset from my terrace taken with a telephoto lens
A Pinkfoot kortnebbgås fed with Greylags grågås at Tjeldstø on 09 April in fading light on the way home from a last minute trip to the shops.
On 09 April I managed a short walk at Breivik where a selection of thrushes and a White Wagtail linerle were among birds that were new in. A male Sparrowhawk spurvehauk hunted in one of the gardens there.
Best bird of the day was a Rook kornkråke at Skogsøy - I was doing well sneaking up on it for a photograph when it suddenly flew and I knew it hadn't seen me - the culprit was a 3cy White-tailed Eagle havørn which passed low overhead.
Rook kornkråke at Skogsøy, this is a good time of year to see this scarce migrant
Third year White-tailed Eagle havørn - the main reason behind not obtaining better pictures of the Rook:)
Meadow Pipit heipiplerke at Kollsnes - had to photograph something when on the phone to work:)
One of a few Song Thrush måltrost at Breivik. Fieldfares gråtrost and Redwing rødvingetrost were also present.
Finally a dull and very slightly wet start to a day.
Jackdaw kaie
Pied Wagtail svartryggerle
I opted for a short walk at Herdlevær which produced the first Jackdaw kaie of the year, my first local Goshawk hønsehauk of the year, a Pied Wagtail svartryggerle and a selection of the usual migrants.
On my way to Herdlevær I stopped at Husvatnet where a flock of seven Sand Martin sandsvale were the first of the year as was a lone Whimbrel småspove.
Finally back home - to AMAZING weather and lots of migrants.
I spent the morning on Hernar where the best sighting was the first spring record for the island of Water Rail vannrikse - running over a path rather than in the usual boggy area.
Brambling bjørkefink
Pied Wagtail svartryggerle
There were plenty of new for the year for Øygarden - a couple of singing Chiff-chaff gransanger, a Wheatear steinskvett, Brambling bjørkefink, Siskin grønnsisik, Ringed Plover sandlo, Reed Bunting sivspurv and Dunnock jernspurv.
A couple of Snipe enkeltbakkasin may have been overwintering birds but Redwing rødvingetrost, Goldcrest fuglekonge and others were migrants. Loads of Meadow Pipits heipiplerke busy setting up territories, a few White-tailed Eagles havørn and plenty more. Both White Wagtail linerle and Pied Wagtail svartryggerle were also local firsts for the year for me here.
Five of the six Pinkfeet kortnebbgås
Two Rook kornkråke
After working for a few hours I headed out again, this time to Kollsnes/Breivik where the highlight was a Lapland Bunting lappsurv - first for the county this year. Other good sightings were six Pinkfeet kortnebbgås and a couple of Rook kornkråke. A few more Wheatear steinskvett here too - these ones singing!
I spent much of the day getting stuff done in the house and, more importantly, garden today and only did a cursory look at Tjeldstø. The weather was obviously to blame for a number of grounded migrants - notably a flock of around 25 Meadow Pipits heipiplerke but also a couple of Pied Wagtails svartryggerle and a few White Wagtails linerle.
The only new bird for the year was a flyover Golden Plover heilo.
The Water Rail vannrikse which has spent even the coldest part of the winter here showed briefly today - though my camera stopped functioning at a rather critical moment so the pictures are nothing like as good as they could have been. I'm very glad this bird made it through the winter and was surprised to see it today as there are now unlimited areas for this bird to find food....maybe the feeding earlier in the year helped it survive through what must have been an exceedingly difficult period.
South Easterly winds and overcast but still calm and dry.
Pied Wagtail svartryggerle at Tjeldstø
Just about record shot of Slavonian Grebe horndykker at Dåvøy
A quick check at a few localities produced some good sightings - the highlight being a male Pied Wagtail svartryggerle at Tjeldstø where there were also increased numbers of Greylag grågås, a flock of Starling stær and six Lapwing vipe. A small flock of Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt here were also present - first I've seen on the east side of Øygarden this year.
Dåvøy produced a Slavonian Grebe horndykker - first sighting in Øygarden this year but the bird will probably have been present most of the winter. More Starling stær and another Lapwing vipe here too.
Started the day with a walk at Breivik. Some grounded migrants and new arrivals here including a few White Wagtail linerle, a small flock of Skylark sanglerke and at least six Snipe enkeltbekkasin.
Redwing rødvingetrost at Harkestad
At Harkestad one field was full of migrants including a flock of 40 Chaffinch bokfink, several Brambling bjørkefink, a Pied Wagtail svartryggerle, a White Wagtail linerle, Meadow Pipit heipiplerke and a mix of thrushes.
Goldfinch stillits on the feeder
Siskin grønnsisik
Once again though it was the garden that provided the bulk of the interest. Finch numbers exploded with around 20 Chaffinch bokfink, 30 Brambling bjørkefink, a couple of Common Redpoll gråsisik and 30 Siskin grønnsisik along with the usual Greenfinches grønnfink and Tree Sparrows pilfink. Highlight here was a Goldfinch stillits - first in Øygarden this year.
Lapwing vipe at Breivik Willow Warbler løvsanger are well and truly back and singing everywhere
Male Ring Ousel ringtrost - always a good bird to see at the coast
Sunny yet again.
Highlights today were a male Pied Wagtail svartryggerle - probably the same bird that has been observed in the area for some time now and a pair of Ring Ousel ringtrost.
Still loads of Wheatear steinskvett about, very many of them singing and displaying.
Despite the rather dull and wet conditions and the short time actually spent out of the house (barely even a "drive by")it was a reasonably productive day. More thrushes in today with up to 80 Fieldfare gråtrost in the fields along with smaller numbers of Redwing rødvingtrost. Chaffinch bokfink numbers also increased greatly overnight.
Best bird was a male Pied Wagtailsvartryggerlefeeding around one of the barns.
The briefest of checks at Solberg produced a flock of around 20 Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt and only four Long-tailed Duck havelle.
Snow Buntings snøspurv in snow shower Record shot of Pied Wagtail svartryggerle Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke
Cold northerly winds and hail / snow showers put an effective stop on migration today but there were still a few birds about including a flock of five Snow Buntings snøspurv, a Pied Wagtail svartryggerle and at least four Rock pipits skjærpiplerke which showed an enormous amount of plumage variation.
